Medium: Episode Order Cut; Next to Be Cancelled?

Last week, CBS gave full season orders to all five of its new shows. The network execs have now cut the episode order for the veteran Medium series. What’s going on? Is Medium next to be cancelled?

Starring Patrica Arquette, Medium premiered in 2005 on NBC. The series ran on the peacock network for five seasons until it was cancelled. Because CBS produces the drama and it’s a syndication success, the eye network picked it up for season six and paired it with compatible Ghost Whisperer. The latter was cancelled last May after a decline in ratings but Medium survived.

This season, Medium has seen a significant decline in viewership. It’s averaged just a 1.3 rating in the prized 18-49 demographic and 6.2 million viewers. That’s a drop of 35% in the demo when compared to the same number of weeks last fall.

Medium is currently the network’s lowest rated show, by far. Fridays are a tough night to draw an audience but a 1.3 average is still very low. CSI: NY, which airs at 9pm, is averaging a 1.8 rating.

Based on Medium’s poor ratings and the success of the other CBS programming, it’s not surprising that the network has cut the show’s episode order for season seven. The cast and crew will make just 13 episodes instead of the traditional 22 installments. You may remember that CBS did something similar with Numb3rs last season and cancelled it in the spring.

This represents Medium’s smallest season in its history and will almost surely will be the drama’s last. CBS will likely replace it on the schedule by midseason.

On the positive side, if this is indeed Medium’s final season, producers will presumably have enough time to give the series some kind of closure.

What do you think? Is it time for Medium to be cancelled or are you still hoping for season eight?

This is one of the best shows on TV. There is nothing wrong with this being aired on Friday nights. It is the age of the DVR, isn’t it? The show is wonderful for the family, it’s interesting and we always look forward to it. Please reconsider…..maybe you should do a new poll that gets a better cross-section of people. If you think that Friday night is a bad time slot, maybe you are polling teenagers who go out on Friday nights. Try polling people who are older, work all week, and enjoy coming home and relaxing to this great show on Friday nights.

Medium is one of the best shows on T.V. It is very original, highly absorbing and at
the same time, a show with great family interaction, and friendships. I love the cast.
The move to the 8:00 PM time slot has been unfortunate and has no doubt contributed
to low ratings. PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL THE SHOW.

This is the only show on CBS we watch. This is our favorite show. Let the sponsors do the demographics and decide. The viewers of this show are more likely to actually purchase products advertised on the show.

I also think that this is a mistake to cancel this program. It is one of the best series on television. CBS, you really need to move this program to another night. I think that if you were to do that, you would see a serious improvement in the ratings. You made the mistake of putting it on the wrong night and in the wrong time slot. In the last two years you have made several mistakes with airing shows on the wrong night and in the wrong time slots. You are setting these programs up for failure.
Programs like Jericho, Three Rivers, Ghost Whisperer and Cold Case. I don’t know why you would sacrifice programs like this.

CBS please move the program to another night and keep it going! Not only is it a great program, but I read a columnist referred to the family characterized as the most realistic family on TV. I agree, particularly with the more recent episodes with the marital dynamic— who wouldn’t get upset at being awakened in the middle of the night with dreams let alone the concommitant and unusual circumstances. The struggle of both parents wanting/needing to go back to get higher degrees, etc. Please, oh, please reconsider, CBS!!!

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL MEDIUM!! I absolutely love this show and have watched every single episode, most of them several times! Please just consider a different night!

I would HATE to see Medium cancelled, but the last two Fridays I have my DVR set to record my fav show and NOTHING!!! NO MEDIUM EPISODES sitting there waiting for me and my family to enjoy! Both of my daughters, my mother and myself love this show and I hate to see it go!!! I was hoping that I had messed up my recording schedule somehow, but I am afraid that I have not! This is really a huge mistake for CBS!!!

I am very disappointed that Medium will be cancelled. It is one of the best shows on TV. Putting it on Friday night was signing a death warrant. Maybe it should be on Thursday night before CSI and the Mentalist. Shift the sit coms back to Mondays

BIG MISTAKE! CBS put this wonderful show in a really bad time slot. Much of their 18-49 demographic, especially those in their 20’s and single, are not spending Friday nights at home watching t.v. I have come to feel very connected to my favorite tv family and their strange and mysterious quirks. If you cancel this series, you cancel my girls! It also doesn’t help that I have been a longtime fan of Patricia Arquette.

I really love the show and I would hate to see it end. Episodes are getting better and I would love to see how the daughters will be growing up. If the show doesn’t work on Friday, put it on Sunday or Monday. Please reconsider keeping the show on.